


striking silence

by sadinsomniac



Series: dream smp oneshots [12]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Burns, Dialogue Heavy, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Manipulation, Prisoner Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29330307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadinsomniac/pseuds/sadinsomniac
Summary: Sapnap visits Dream in prison.Based on Sapnaps recent stream.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: dream smp oneshots [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091387
Comments: 1
Kudos: 120





	striking silence

**Author's Note:**

> TW; self harm (blood as ink, burns), implied manipulation
> 
> underlined ~ dreams writing  
> bold ~ dreams speaking

Sapnap didn’t know what he expected when the thick waterfall of lava cascaded down to reveal the obsidian box but it certainly wasn’t this.

The man inside was sat staring at the wall, a small clock being cradled in his hands as though it were a rare artifact, the glass gleaming as it was perfectly clean, a complete juxtaposition to the person holding it.

Dream was to put it lightly, a mess. The short sleeved orange prison jumpsuit revealed thick distorted burns, some of which looked uncomfortably fresh, which curled around the once thick and muscular biceps which were now thin enough to see the bones. In fact all of him was skinny enough to see bone. The usually well worn hands were cut up, every movement of his fingers visible through the skin, his usually solid jawline was too sharp, emphasising his hollowed out gaunt cheeks and the way his cheekbones jutted out dangerously, a heavy comparison to his sunken in eyes which were framed by circles dark enough to look like bruises. 

The cell was a mess too. Crying obsidian dripped from the roof and pooled on the floor, creating puddles of grime within the ridges of the normal obsidian. The top of the chest had dark brown smears of what was most likely old blood on it, the top half broken off and slanted, revealing a mess of books along with a crude smiley mask inside. A cauldron of dirty water sat beside a book stand, thick masses of what was most likely mould or bacteria build around the edges, making Sapnap scrunch his face in disgust. Another water pool sat in the corner, filled with clear water with a gap in the ceiling above it along with a dispenser. He didn’t want to know what it contained.

As the bridge shook and carried Sapnap over the lake of lava, he felt more and more sympathy building up for his former best friend. Sure Dream had done horrific things and for that he deserved to rot in the prison forever, but the sight itself was pitiful to the point he couldn’t help the swirls of guilt within his gut.

With timid steps, the noirette walked onto the obsidian, shivering despite the overwhelming heat within the cell. Netherite blocks sat as a physical barrier between the duo, a cruel reminder of how the two had been broken apart. It also served as another reminder of a barrier between the two he’d never considered. A language one.

The Dream he knew was known for being loud. A cocky overwhelming man who didn’t hesitate to speak with confidence he could uphold. The same man who apparently hadn’t spoken to anyone for months, whether or not he refused to or he simply couldn’t, it’s not like either Sapnap or Sam would know.

The familiar heat of lava began to burn on his back as the wall of fire closed the two of them within the box, the sound of red stone echoing in the air as the netherite blocks fell, allowing Sapnap to wander further into the box, eyes reinspecting the cell along with the prisoner.

Pulling open the broken chest, he pulled out one of the many books, flicking it open only to frown. The pages were crumpled with multiple ripped out, the writing unintelligible. Not only because of the obvious shaking but because it was in a dialect he could only ever dream of understanding. The ink itself was dark and blotchy, looking more of a murky brown than black, making him want to gag as he quickly processed what it was written in.

_Blood_.

Dream had yet to acknowledge his presence, the blonde still sat cradling the clock with a delicate almost scared hold, as though one mistake would break the precious item.

“Dream?” Sapnap couldn’t help the slight wavering in his voice, watching to see if the blonde would react.

Slowly but surely the other man turned around. Matted dark brown hair hung had grown long enough to cover his eyes, leaving Sapnap simply staring at a wall of hair. However as the man looked up it wasn’t any better. Where once gleaming jade eyes sat, instead were dull orbs, practically drained of all colour, instead being a dark grey with only a soft hue of green showing that the man was infact alive and not a ghost.

“Hello?” He watched the man place the clock in a small item frame, back once again facing Sapnap, “Dream? You okay?”

The man pulled his clock back off the frame, actions jolty as he turned to face Sapnap, a book and quill in the opposite hand to the gleaming clock, the man himself still crouched on the floor beside the bacteria infested cauldron.

“How you doing man?” he asked, not expecting an answer as he continued to look through the broken chest, only to be interrupted by Dream offering him the book in his hands.

With a careful grasp, Sapnap took the rugged book, electing to sit on the floor opposite Dream and flicking it open to read, ‘ I am not talking.’

“Umm.... Why— Why aren’t you talking?” He may as well figure out how Dream was doing whilst he was here.

“A-are you sad?” However the man simply regave him the book without writing anything else.

“Can you say anything other than I am not talking?”

However Dream merely fiddled with the clock, electing to ignore the question. 

After an uncomfortable silence, Dream brought a shaky hand to the paper, fingers clinging to the quill as he wrote with trembling hands.

“Take your time if you need to.”

The book was handed back over, shaky words bearly readable,  ‘you took so long.’

He couldn’t help but scoff lightly, “you hurt a lot of people, especially me... Wirh all the stuff you’d done so it took me a little bit to decide to come and see you... It wasn’t the easiest thing but you know... Like come on man, you’re better than this.”

However the prisoner returned to ignoring him, dull eyes flicking back to his clock.

“You just look at that clock? Don’t know what to say?”

“You can talk to me ya’ know. Once upon a time we were best friends... If you can talk to anyone you can talk to me,” he felt his voice grow in strength, desperate to show any kind of softer emotion that would encourage Dream to speak.

However the man simply wrote,  ‘i’m on strike.’

“You’re on strike...?” the younger parroted softly, “I’ve heard you haven’t been the most... Well behaved... Heard you have issues with burning clocks I think. So you’re just not gonna talk to anyone? For you’re whole time in here? I mean what are you on strike for? How long...?”

Pale trembling hands scribbled in the book, each letter slow as he struggled to write.

“You okay?” his black eyes turned away from the former blonde to stare around the cell, grimacing at the crying obsidian leaking, “your cells looking alittle run down.. Is it always like this?”

‘It was a security measure.’

Well. Atleast there was a reason and he wasn’t just being left to suffer without reason. 

“You should really talk to me man. Even though like... You’ve done bad things and you deserve to be here doesn’t mean we can’t atleast be somewhat friends anymore. This is where you gotta be for now.”

Each word burned his throat, guilt rising like bile in his throat but it had to be done. Dream had to pay for his actions.

Shaky words were barely readable on the dirtied page,  ‘I’ll get out some day.’

“No dude. Seriously no Dream you can’t,” every word hurt, “you gotta stay here for now. Maybe one day if everyone agrees.”

It was an unrealistic idea. The server had actively celebrated Dreams imprisonment, the server thriving in the tyrants caging, but he could atleast give the man a small amount of hope, even if it was false.

‘I spent days breaking the lectern to create a portal and he did this.’

It was smart, but Sapnap still grimaced at the concept of Dreams escape, “dude, Dream you can’t. Like I miss you out there too but what you did... You gotta stay here, this is where you belong for now. I’ll come and visit you, George will come and visit you. We can still be friends but you gotta stay here for now.”

The mans head hung alittle lower, turning away from Sapnap in fearful submission, his hair hanging further over his face to hide his eyes.

“I’m sorry I don’t want you to be upset but dude, I think you know this is where you’re supposed to be,” desperation laced his tone, “please don’t try and escape.”

Sapnap felt himself flinch back as Dream suddenly climbed to his feet, the once delicate hold on his clock now gripping as he stumbled towards the lava,

“No no no no no no no—“ and he watched the man fling the clock into the lava, a small hiss sounding as the clock disappeared between the thick liquid flames.

He sighed. “Come on now that’s just gonna make the Warden mad. You’re making this harder for yourself.”

However Dream simply ignored him, stumbling back to sink over to his previous spot on the heated obsidian floor.

“You don’t need to make this more difficult than it needs to be. Come on you’re right you can get through it man.”

The younger took the book back from Dreams trembling hand, frowning at the shaky message there.

‘Eventually.’

Sapnap couldn’t help the disappointed sigh, “No... I don’t think you’re leaving here,” however the prisoner simply underlined the word again with an uneven line. “No Dream. No.” But the man ignored him. Continuing to underline the word, each line more blotted and uneven as Sapnap frowned in disappointment.

“I want this to be clear. What you did is what got you here okay? So you have to be here for as long as needed, so if you try and escape and leave here... You only have one life left and if you escape, it’s not gonna be Tommy, it’s not gonna be Techno... It’s gonna be me who takes your final life. And it’s not because I resent you or anything, but it’s because this is where you need to be. You need to stay here dude.”

He watched Dreams shoulders hunched further in on himself, the trembling in his hands gradually spreading to his entire body and Sapnap felt himself choke up. Honestly he didn’t know if he could bare to murder the one person who had been a constant in his life. But if it’s what’s right? He would do what was necessary.

“You don’t have to do all this Dream...”

He watched as the man wrote barely legible words,  ‘can you pass a message?’

He didn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t that. “To who? And for what?”

‘He stopped visiting.’

Sapnap felt confusion gracing his features, hadn’t Sam said no one had visited in along time?

“Who stopped visiting?” He watched Dreams hand hover, the lack of trust stabbing straight through Sapnaps chest, “you can tell me... You can trust me dude.”

‘Ranboo.’

“Ranboo?” he parroted with confusion thick in his tone, “you want me to pass a message to Ranboo for you? What message?”

He didn’t even think the two knew one another, hell he’d barely seen the kid himself.

‘:)’

The noirette frowned. Of all messages a simple smily face? It wasn’t exactly complex. No secrets hidden between the basic lines, “just a smile?” something dark protested against it but he shook it off, “I mean if you want me to... It doesn’t seem like a big deal to me, it’s just a smile.”

And for the first time emotion flickered across Dreams half hidden face, cracked lips curving up slightly into a smile before scribbling more words.

‘Thank you.’

Sapnap felt a soft smile curl on his own face, a small bunch of warmth curling around his heart, “no problem.”

“Will you quit acting up if I pass that message? Will you promise me that? You’ll stop throwing your clocks away and start talking?” He stuttered on the last words, feeling weirdly guilt at the request, “atleast stop throwing your clocks away... If your not ready to talk then you don’t have to talk. We can get some kind of compromise here ya’ know?”

“ **Yes**.”

Black eyes snapped to Dreams dull ones, his jaw opening slightly at the soft word. It was raspy and croaky, sounding awfully painful despite how quiet it was, but it was a word non the less.

“Alright...” he responded in an equally soft tone, “I’ll pass that message for you and you’ll act better... I’ll visit you more? I’ll ask George to visit too?”

The smile on the mans face curled up slightly more at the mention of their other friend, quickly writing on the paper with equal amounts of trembling but more excitement in each small movement,

‘yes and tell the Warden I need a new clock.’

“Alright... I’ll do both of those just stay here and be good okay? That’s the best things for you.” The orange clad man nodded, crawling over the rough ground to the broken chest and pulling out a gleaming book, embedded with enchantments which kept it clean from the grime of the cell

‘Thank you for visiting me’

The writing was much neater, probably written before his decent into silence, but Sapnap couldn’t help the soft smile which graced his features at the small show of thanks.

“No problem,” he watched the man shut the broken chest before curling on top of it, face hidden beneath his arms as he curled into a tight ball, obviously signifying the end of the visit.

“Was good seeing you...” and with that Sapnap hopped into the small water hole in the cell, offering the blonde one last smile before the potion was dropped on his head and he respawned next to Warden Sam, the smile remaining on his face as the duo left the prison.

It was a successful visit in Sapnaps mind. Perhaps he would go and visit Dream again to see if his behaviour had improved. In the mean time, he had a message to deliver to Ranboo.

**Author's Note:**

> this is literally copied from Sapnaps stream but i need practice with writing dialogue as well as really wanted to try and set the scene ya know?
> 
> and what do you guys thinks gonna happen if you watched the stream? it was wild


End file.
